Ayurvedic Essential Oils For Pregnant Women

Ways to enlighten your senses and let your mind develop with your fetus with these sweet-smelling essential oils.

Pregnancy is always special in a number of ways and if it is going to be your first pregnancy then trust me you’ll be greeted with a red carpet wherever you go. You’ll become the angel of your family and for your husband, you’ll be the ‘apple of his eye’. Ayurveda considers a pregnant woman as a divine symphony where ‘The God’s Gift (Baby)’ is growing within her. According to Sushruta Samhita, ‘A pregnant lady should stay happy, be hygienic, wear clean outfits, take part in meditation, prayers, put on accessories (like bangles, anklets etc, the melodious sound of which is trusted to enrich the baby’s harmonious growth) and simple exercises. The loving science of Ayurveda suggests plenty of natural herbs, nutritious food items, fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables and the use of Ayurvedic essential oils to make your pregnancy unforgettable, leading to a safe and easy childbirth along with a happy post-pregnancy period with your little one.

Ayurvedic essential oils for pregnant women: Ayurveda has a magic in it to treat the extremely sensitive pregnant woman with healing and harmonizing essential oils.  It is for more than ever to make her comfortable with the changes in her body while tackling mental stress, depression, mood fluctuations and the fear about her labor. Such healing essential oils that can make your pregnancy phase a real ‘Sweet Dream’ forever are mentioned below according to your trimester:

  1. First trimester: This is the initial period for the development of your fetus where it starts developing head, limbs, heartbeat, reproductive organs, ears and other sensory faculties. This is the most challenging period of pregnancy for most women as they struggle with morning sickness, nausea, headache, acidity, heartburn and more. The safe essential oils during your first trimester are citrus oils like Tangerine essential oil, Orange essential oil and Neroli essential oil. You can also use Grapefruit essential oil and Lavender essential oil to lift your senses and reduce the difficulties during the first three months of pregnancy.
  2. Second trimester: The baby at this stage starts building up muscles, blood, all the five senses, skin, hair, fingers, veins, nails, teeth, bones, eyelids, mind and he/she becomes even stronger at this stage. At this juncture you may face challenges like constipation, itchy skin, stretch marks, anxiety, nervousness, nightmares and few more. Essential oils that can help you overcome these impediments during your second trimester are Sandalwood essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Frankincense essential oil, Palo Santo essential oil and Grapefruit essential oil. Gently massage your abdomen using Lavender oil with jojoba oil or sweet almond oil to get rid of stretch marks and stay gifted with mark-free skin even after pregnancy.
  3. Third trimester: You will be extremely eager to meet your baby and now that you’ve started to feel the movements of your baby. You may even see the impressions of your baby’s hands or feet on your abdomen externally. By the end of the third trimester your baby attains its full growth and becomes even stronger. It is at this phase you’ll start experiencing insomnia, difficulties in sleeping, fatigue, swollen ankles, lower back ache and other complexities in your day to day living.

The best essential oils at this stage are Frankincense essential oil, Ylang Ylang essential oil, Mandarin essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Lemon essential oil and Bergamot essential oil. Smooth massage with these essential oils either as a blend or taken individually with carrier oils, as a diffuser or in a warm bath tub can enrich your senses, relieve your stress and fatigue while soothing your painful muscles.

Pregnancy takes you to a wonderful world filled with fun, fantasy, fear, fragility and ultimate fascination. This time better you take pregnancy to a soothing, serene, calming, energizing, rejuvenating and reviving world with these Ayurvedic essential oils.

It is always good to avoid certain essential oils that are emmenagogue, skin sensitizing, irritant and toxic in nature during your pregnancy. Few such oils are Aniseed, Angelica, Clary Sage, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Cedarwood, Basil, Elecampane, Jasmine, Ginger, Fennel, Thyme, Marjoram, Lemon Grass, Peppermint, Sage, Pennyroyal, Juniper, Melissa, Wintergreen, Sassafras, Wormwood, Thuja and certain other essential oils due to their tendency to harm either the mother or the fetus.

Note: Be precautious while using essential oils as they can directly affect the nervous system. Never use it directly as it is highly concentrated and dilute it in safe carrier oils. Use a minimal amount or 2 to 3 drops and strictly avoid ingesting any of the essential oils during any stage of your pregnancy.

Thought for the day:

A mother’s joy begins when new life is stirring inside… when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone.Unknown

Reference links:

  1. Sushruta Samhita by Wikipedia
  2. Divine Delivery by Ayurveda Elements
  3. The Second Trimester: Your Baby’s Growth and Development in Middle Pregnancy by WebMD

Ayurvedic Essential Oils For Back Pain Treatment

‘Ouch! It pains’ was my anthem till four years back and it was my partner’s irritating statement as I persistently sing the back pain song every single day without fail. Be it a long drive or hours together of passionate writing accompanying my gadget or a social event, everything ends impartially by gifting me with the excruciating back pain. Wondering about what had happened in the last 4 years? Will you trust me if I say that I’m in a revolutionized cosmos that is free of this agonizing ache? Yes! You should trust as millions of people have already benefited by the use of the extraordinary essential oils that have been proved effective for back pain treatment, which I came to know only before the fairy four years time.

Possible reasons for back pain: Back pain could screw your life if you fit into any of these criteria:

‘Okay, what should I do now?’ Will be your next question as back pain is as common as a cough or sneeze in today’s hectic living as William Henry Davies said in his renowned poem Leisure:

‘A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare’.

Secret of my rescue and myriad people as well: Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines may grant you temporary relief but might worsen the situation with their irreparable and off-putting side effects. Using Ayurvedic essential oils for treating your acute or chronic pain in the back has been proven safe and powerful. Few such essential oils for back pain treatment are:

Peppermint essential oil: Peppermint oil is widely used in Ayurvedic massage therapies for improving blood circulation in the body aiding in smooth supply of blood to the affected parts of the body. This oil helps in rejuvenating your mind and helps you to recover from your ache at ease.  With its analgesic, therapeutic and anti-inflammatory qualities it’s used effectively for getting rid of acute back pain.

Clary Sage and Chamomile essential oil: Clary sage is known for its relaxing, cooling, antispasmodic, nervine, sedative and anti-inflammatory properties that assist in reassuring the stressed muscles and eliminating the actual pain in your back and joints. Chamomile essential oil is mainly used for treating muscular spasms and relieves tension in the muscles.

Ginger Essential Oil: Ginger is a legendary herb in the history of Ayurveda and is the worst enemy of diseases and abnormalities. The essential oil of Ginger has its use since the ancient period in treating skeletal and muscular problems. It tones the muscles and soothes extreme pain in a matter of minutes when it is gently massaged on the affected area.

Frankincense, Lavender, Rosemary and Yarrow essential oils are also used in treating back pains and save your head from this slow-killer with the help of a proficient Ayurvedic massage expert.

Reference Links:

  1. Back Pain by emedicinehealth
  2. Back Pain by Wikipedia
  3. Remedies-Back Pain by Health Herbs and Nutrition
  4. Soothe Back Pain Naturally With Various Essential Oils by Natural News.com

Ayurvedic Essential Oils For Eczema

Atopic dermatitis, commonly known as Eczema is the most predominant skin problems in the world. The term ‘Eczema’ is extracted from the Greek word ‘ekzein’, which means ‘to boil out’.  Eczema is a chronic skin disorder that makes the skin dry, itchy, cracked, scaly and reddened.

It is an auto-immune disease that affects people of both the gender and many of the General Practitioners say that the number of persons diagnosed for eczema is gradually increasing every year especially in North America, Western Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia. Ayurveda, the ancient healing system considers eczema as a symbol of imbalance in the human body for which it suggests the use of enriching Ayurvedic essential oils along with herbs, yoga, meditation and following an Ayurvedic routine.

Causes of Eczema: Thousands of reasons can be attributed to this auto-immune disease but eczema is said to worsen due to mental stress. Research studies also say that Eczema is common in children and numerous children who are affected by Atopic eczema also have the chances of developing asthma.

The exact reason for eczema is still not known yet the major causes of eczema are hereditary reasons, environmental factors, food and other dietary concerns, agents that cause dermatitis or eczema also known as allergens, the effect of chemical substances present in skin care products, detergents and toiletries, pet fur and much more. A reliable research done by a group of allergy experts reveal that eczema is on the rise especially in children between 6 and 7 years old in developing countries.

Symptoms of eczema: Eczema is a long-term disease that requires intense treatment. When left unnoticed, eczema gets aggravated and may lead to other serious conditions. The most prevalent symptoms of Atopic dermatitis are:

  • Dry, broken and cracked skin on the body mainly legs, arms, neck, back of the ears, hands, kneels, face, wrist, upper chest and eyelids.
  • Itchy, reddened, swollen and inflamed skin on the affected areas. This gets worsened in the night time and prolonged itching might end up in thickened and raw-looking skin.
  • Reddish or pale brown color patches appear on the skin and may develop small bumps and blisters.
  • In the extreme cases skin becomes hot, scaly, extremely dry, and sensitive. It starts oozing liquid and will attract other infections due to bacteria and other harmful foreign bodies.

Ayurveda and eczema: Eczema is termed as Vicharchika in Ayurveda. It is said that the imbalance of all the three doshas namely vata, pitta and kapha cause eczema. This skin disorder due to vata imbalance causes extreme dryness and induces severe pain and itching on the affected part. Eczema due to pitta vitiation causes burning sensation and induces oozing from the bumps whereas Kapha predominant eczema makes the skin thick along with oozing and swelling. Ayurveda is a holistic healing science that considers every individual unique with a unique constitution. Though eczema is a universal disease, Ayurvedic treatments for this disorder is specific to an individual’s physical, mental, social, environmental and spiritual set up.

Ayurvedic remedies for Eczema: Ayurvedic experts state that ‘Vicharchika’ occurs mainly due to the human body’s incapability to generate enough moisture in the skin and the abridged functioning of the immune system and the imbalance of the doshas. Ayurvedic treatments recommend keeping yourself away from those food items that are sour or salty as these can intensify your eczema. Adding turmeric, coconut, avocado, yogurt, ghee, butter to your diet has the potential to improve your skin by reducing inflammation and increasing the moisture in the skin. Ayurvedic herbs like licorice and valerian root soothes the nerves and promotes the physical balance of your body.

Turmeric is an excellent antiseptic and a renowned Nutritionist and Chinese Herbalist Daniel C. Luthi in his extensive research on Atopic Dermatitis says that the yellow pigment known as Curcumin present in Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and is an excellent remedy to inhibit the release and production of leukotrienes and other mediators that are inflammatory and helps in removing the toxins from the body that cause eczema and other skin disorders.

Ayurvedic oils for Eczema: Essential oils are the purest form of oils and are perfect in healing numerous skin disorders including eczema. The best recommended Ayurvedic essential oils for eczema are Lavender essential oil, Patchouli essential oil, Rosemary oil, Tea tree oil, Cypress oil, Thyme oil, Cedarwood oil, Chamomile oil and Palmarosa oil.

Physicians from the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy in California suggest the use of a natural blend of essential oils for eczema. This blend contains 1 ml of Lavender oil and Palmarosa oil along with 10 ml of calophyllum diluted in Rose Hip Seed oil (6 teaspoons). Topical application of this blend on the affected areas will stimulate repair of cells and gradually reduce itching.

Adding few drops of Evening primrose oil to your bath tub or when used as medicated oil increases the level of omega fatty acids lacking in people affected by eczema. This oil contains gamma-linolenic acid known as GLA, which is frequently used to treat people with such skin conditions as it checks skin inflammation and allergy while evading the conversion process.

In the popular book named ‘Aromatherapy Workbook’, Shirley Price suggests the use of Frankincense essential oil, Myrrh essential oil, Hyssop essential oil for weeping eczema and Juniper essential oil and Geranium essential oil for normal eczema. Carrier oils like Borage oil, Almond oil, Calendula oil are also recommended for treating eczema.

Along with these Ayurvedic treatments, practicing simple Yoga and meditation can calm your senses, soothes your nerves and brings in tranquility to your mind thus lessening the severity of eczema.

Thought for the day:

Glamour is about feeling good in your own skin.   -Zoe Saldana

Suggested reading:

  1. Absolute Beauty: Radiant Skin and Inner Harmony Through the Ancient Secrets of Ayurveda By Pratima Raichur, Mariam Cohn
  2. Aromatherapy for Eczema By Miriam Kinai
  3. New Choices in Natural Healing: Over 1,800 of the Best Self-Help Remedies from the World of Alternative Medicine By Doug Dollemore

Reference links:

  1. Eczema: Treatment, causes, symptoms, types and diagnosis by MedicineNet.Com
  2. Childhood Eczema Still On The Increase In Developing Countries by Medical News Today
  3. Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis by Nutritional and Herbal Solutions